


An Old Face

by unwillingadventurer



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26137438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwillingadventurer/pseuds/unwillingadventurer
Summary: The Doctor comes face to face with her old...face
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	An Old Face

The Doctor held the blow torch in her hands, placed the goggles over her eyes and smiled enthusiastically as sparks flew into the air of her TARDIS— creating a shower of blue and orange, dancing like tiny meteors across a darkened sky.

In the midst of her work, she barely noticed anything, consumed by the task, her hands filthy, her apron covered in dirt and dust.

Suddenly there was a face which emerged behind the orange sparks and she jumped on the spot, finally broken from her trance.

“Hello?” The man said.

The Doctor put down her blow-torch and removed her goggles. She knew that face. She’d been that face. The question was, why was she looking at that face in her own TARDIS?

“It’s you!” she pointed at him. “Or rather it’s me, or was me. How cool is that?”

The man dressed in full cricket attire leaned in close to examine her. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“What? That I was you?”

“No that you’re me.”

She frowned. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Well, nothing in particular, it’s just I’ve been in this situation before, met another of us and it’s all very confusing.”

“So, you do like what you see?”

He placed his hands in his pockets. “You’re certainly… different.”

Laughing, she stood on her tiptoes. “I know, shorter again, mad isn’t it? Still not used to it. Haven’t not been tall for ages.”

“I was referring to my now being of the female persuasion.”

The Doctor looked down at herself. “Oh that. Forgot. Yeah, but I still have that one thing that you do have!”

The other Doctor also looked down at himself. “I beg your pardon?”

“Blonde hair!” She ran her hands through her hair like she was in a shampoo advert. “Never been able to do this before.”

“Of course, I’m a natural,” he sniffed, raising his head in the air.

“Huh, I don’t remember being this catty.”

“This trip down memory lane or rather a trip down future lane is all very exciting, Doctor,” he said, racing around the console. “But I left my companions on their own, and well, as much as I trust them, three can be quite a handful.”

“Tell me about it. But it is better with a crowded TARDIS isn’t it?”

“I tend to agree, Doctor.”

“I love it when you call me Doctor. Look at my arm I’ve got goosebumps.”

“I’m getting that feeling myself.”

The Doctor looked at the console unit, her eyes scanning over every inch to see of any malfunctions. When she’d arrived at the other end of the console, she collided with the other Doctor who was doing the same thing but in the opposite direction.

“Time colliding again,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his half-moon spectacles. He placed them on and gazed at the scanner screen.

She nodded. “I was passing through an electrical storm before you arrived. Perhaps it created some time disturbance.”

The other Doctor rubbed his chin. “Ah, yes, we were also experiencing some turbulence in an electrical storm. Nyssa detected it.”

“Aww Nyssa! How is she? And Tegan? Turlough…”

“Who?”

“No wait, that was later. Adric?”

“Yes, Adric.”

“Oh.” The Doctor felt a tear forming in her eye but she quickly turned around so her past self couldn’t witness the emotion. She put the pain to the back of her mind and spun around again. “Can I ask a favour?”

“Certainly, Doctor. I must say you’re far more polite than the other one of us with the sticky up hair.”

The Doctor’s nose scrunched again. “Aww. Memories. Memories.”

“What was this favour, Doctor?”

“No biggie, just wanted to wear our hat again. I’ve missed having a hat. Maybe I should get a hat. Bowler?”

The Doctor took off his hat and placed onto her head. “It is my honour, Doctor to let you wear this.”

She sniffed. “Aw, it smells like us.”

“Would you mind not handling it so frivolously? W.G Grace taught me to bowl in this hat.”

“I do know. I was there. He was the one with the impressive beard, right? It really tickled.”

The Doctor coughed. “Yes, well, I remember. Now that you’ve borrowed my hat, I think it’s only fair I try on the goggles.”

“Be my guest.”

He placed them on and grinned. “Haven’t got around to doing any maintenance. But I suppose I’ll get to it eventually.”

“Know what you mean. Say you’ll do something, next thing it’s three hundred years later. We’d lose our heads if they weren’t screwed on.”

“But in all seriousness, Doctor,” the Doctor said, taking off the goggles and snatching back his hat. “How do I return to my own TARDIS?”

She scrunched her nose. “Not entirely sure but could we be bold and a little bit retro and try the fast return switch?”

“That old thing, haven’t used that since I was grey?”

“The old things are sometimes the best. I’ve tweaked it a bit, it sends people back now…or at least it should…I hope. I put it there in case this happened again.”

“I see. Well, I suppose we better give it a try.”

They stood facing each other for several moments, each unsure of what to say. Finally, the earlier Doctor coughed gently. “Allow me?”

“Go ahead.” She held his arm for a brief moment. “Before you go, I just wanna say, thanks for stopping by, even if it was an accident. I’ve been through some stuff recently, found out some stuff about us that have my head spinning, but it’s nice to see someone I trust. I know you won’t let me down…well, most of the time anyway.”

“Thank you, Doctor, it was a pleasure taking a glimpse of my future once more. I’m always looking forward to where it takes me. As Alice said ‘It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’ Keep going forward, Doctor. Try not to dwell on what’s been. Give my love to your companions. I’m eager to meet them one day.”

“Give my hugs to yours. Until we meet again, Doctor.”

“Goodbye.” The Doctor pressed down the fast return switch and then took off his hat, tipping it to his future self before he faded for good.

And the room was empty and the sparks were gone and there was nothing but the TARDIS humming. The Doctor stood alone.


End file.
